Yaming Arc - Redemption

Inside a small shack in an unknown location, a middle-aged man with a crazed expression was brandishing a thin white whip at a girl who remained completely expressionless. This type of whip caused immense pain without leaving any marks; clearly, the man knew this well, as he did not wish to ruin the flawless, pristine figure of the girl before him.

"Why? What makes you so strong? Miss Lin, you are far too interesting. Even at this point, you can still remain silent. Why? I truly want to know the reason. Is your chastity really worth protecting to this extent? You are still just a child!! You don't understand anything at all!!!"

The girl's head tilted against the chair as if she were already dead, yet she was still able to fix her eyes upon the middle-aged man. She did not speak; instead, relying on the nerves that still obeyed her commands, she forced a very, very strained smile, as if she were provoking the man before her.

The middle-aged man went mad. He swung the whip in his hand even faster, the force so great that even the boy hiding in the crate felt a chill. The boy was now deeply disappointed—not just in his own strength, but even more so in his disdain for the soul of that middle-aged man.

"If only I possessed more power. If I just had the power, I could save her!!! Give me power!!! No matter what it is, I am willing to pay everything I have!!!" the boy screamed incessantly in his heart. Regrettably, everything remained ordinary; nothing special happened. The boy could only watch everything unfolding, while the girl continued to endure it all.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it!!! Power!! I want power!! Power that can defeat him!!" The boy had almost entered a state of delirium. Fortunately, his nervous system had not gone insane along with him; he still remained hidden in the crate.

"Do you truly desire power that much? If you are indeed so desperate for power, just go and take it yourself. Why bother shouting and screaming?" The voice came from within the boy's heart. Without a doubt, this voice saved the boy, who was on the verge of a breakdown.

"That's right, I can do it. I can do it on my own!!" The boy suddenly regained his confidence. He began to think, to plan, and to prepare for execution.

Time slipped away second by second. Although the boy had regained his sense of self, he remained extremely anxious. This anxiety made it difficult for him to focus on thinking and planning, but his current state was much better than before. He watched the girl outside, who was already suffering under torture.

"I have no choice but to gamble on this!!" The boy made up his mind. He took the dagger from his backpack; the blade appeared exceptionally sharp inside the crate. Then, he took out the red ink from his bag and stripped off his outer garment.

"Haha, let's see how much longer you can hold out. Your beautiful skin is about to reach its limit, isn't it? Miss Lin! How about it!! Do you want to cry out? Go ahead and cry! In exchange for your strength, I won't do anything else to you!! Really!!" The middle-aged man roared in a near-maniacal frenzy. Despite the autumn chill, his entire body was drenched in sweat, and his face was completely distorted.

The boy's preparations were complete. He was waiting for an opportunity—a perfect opportunity, an opportunity that had to succeed.

The middle-aged man's hands had gone numb. He no longer had the strength to swing the whip, while the girl showed no change at all. She kept her head tilted, staring at the man with vacant eyes.

The man tossed the whip aside and picked up a strange tool. Few people other than the man himself would likely know what it was. Yet, the moment the boy saw this peculiar tool, he recognized it immediately. It was a cruel, ancient instrument of torture used on prisoners: a Nail Extractor. This tool could pull out a prisoner's fingernails perfectly intact while inflicting excruciating pain. The boy was completely stunned by the man before him. Had he not seen it with his own eyes, he might never have believed that such an ancient torture device would be used on a girl who had nothing to do with him. This caused the boy, who had just regained his composure, to hesitate once more. He began to feel a profound sense of dread toward the man.

"What do I do, what do I do? If I fail, will I suffer the same fate as her?"

"What are you afraid of? Isn't this what you have been longing for? What's wrong? Are you starting to back down now?"

"No, no, I..."

"So you are just a coward after all. You disappoint me so much!!"

"No, I am not a coward. I, I, I..."

"Just hide there and watch her suffer. That way, you will be safe!"

"D-damn it, I am not a coward!!!" The boy fell into a mental breakdown. With a loud roar, he lunged out of the crate. The middle-aged man, who was in the middle of his preparations, was so startled that he dropped the tool to the ground. He stared at the person who had suddenly appeared and collapsed onto the floor.

The boy gripped the dagger tightly with both hands. This was not his first time using a dagger; if he followed his usual training, he could successfully deal with the man. Moreover, he had already gained a significant psychological advantage. As long as he followed his training, he would surely succeed.

"W-what are you!!" the man stammered from the floor, clearly terrified. He had been badly frightened just moments ago, and now he was deeply afraid of the boy who had emerged from the crate—a figure covered in blood, wielding a crimson-stained dagger.

The boy gripped the dagger tightly with both hands, swaying as he approached the man. Red liquid dripped from the dagger onto the floor, appearing exceptionally terrifying. The boy laughed loudly, "Hahaha, haha, I am, I am, I am the one who will take your life! Despair!! You insignificant human!!! I shall claim your soul!!"

The middle-aged man's pupils began to dilate rapidly. His fear had reached its limit. Instinctively, he scrambled to his feet and bolted toward the door.

The man ran out of the shack and kept running, straight ahead, without any intention of stopping.

Watching the man flee, the boy immediately put away his dagger and searched for the spot where the man had placed the keys. His movements were exceptionally calm and swift; in just three seconds, he found the keys. He quickly unlocked the chains securing the girl, then took his own clothes out of the crate. Although they were a bit large, he could not worry about that now; he had to finish everything before the man returned.

After dressing the girl, the boy carried her into the crate, then hid himself in a corner of the shack to wait for the man.

Meanwhile, one kilometer away from the shack, dozens of people in camouflage were systematically searching the nearby hills.

"Report, Leopard has not found the target."

"Report, Bison has not found the target."

"Report, Zebra has not found the target."

"Continue searching the surrounding area. The residential houses are a priority!"

"Copy that."

"Damn it, only Ferocious Tiger and Grizzly Bear are left. Is there no news from them either? Do we really have to storm the Lin Family estate?"

"Report, this is Ferocious Tiger. I have found a middle-aged man resembling Ou Luo. He has been apprehended!!"

"Ah... is he alone??"

"Yes. His mental state is very poor. Awaiting further instructions."

"Damn it, could it be that he has already... Damn it! Quickly, ask him for the target's location, use any method necessary!!"

"Copy that."

"Report, target location confirmed. Commencing rescue immediately!!"

...Three minutes later...

"Report, we have not found the target at the location. There is only a child covered in blood inside. Awaiting further instructions!"

"A child??? How is that possible? Where is Lin? Ask him for Lin's location!!!"

"I can't, he can no longer hear what we are saying!!"

"Damn it, subdue him first, but do not harm him!!"

...One minute later...

"Target found. The target is still alive. Transporting to the designated location immediately!!"

"...Thank goodness, phew, thank goodness. Send that child along with her!!"

"Copy that."

The boy sitting in the room rushed out immediately. He shouted to his companions, "Lin, Lin, Lin has been rescued! She'll be here soon!! It's over. Six months of preparation, and now it's finally finished!!!"